


Take A Deep Breath

by Theyna_Shipper



Series: Healing the Galaxy [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo Deserved Better, F/M, Fix-It, Fix-it fic, I go down with this ship, If JJ gets to do it so do I, Most of the force stuff is garbage i made up, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, but who cares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22073689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theyna_Shipper/pseuds/Theyna_Shipper
Summary: My attempt to resolve my scattered and distraught emotions after TROS.In which Leia's sacrifice gives her son the strength to return to Rey. In which hardly anyone trusts Ben Solo or is sure of his redemption. In which neither Rey nor Ben has any idea what to do with themselves now that the war is over. In which everyone needs to take a deep breath and start over.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Healing the Galaxy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1607194
Comments: 33
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to open this by saying that at least 60% of the Force stuff in here is garbage I made up (if JJ gets to do it so do I) and the rest is mostly stuff I read online that may or may not be true. If you see an error I could conceivably fix, please comment, but if it is really deep-rooted, speak before I post chapter 3 or forever hold your peace. 
> 
> I basically lost it after TROS, how could they do that to Reylo???? So this is my attempt to fix that. Please enjoy, like, and comment.

He cradled her lifeless body in his arms. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. The life energy she had given him after their duel on the ruins of the Death Star pulsed, feeling its giver fading. 

He knew what he had to do. 

Lowering her gently to the ground, he placed his hand over her abdomen, closing his eyes to concentrate He felt the energy flow out of him, returning to the woman who had given it to him in the first place. He felt weak, and shaking, barely daring to hope that it would work. 

Then he felt a hand slip into his. 

A warm, living hand. 

His eyes snapped open.

Rey smiled up at him. Her eyes, that had moments ago been as cold and still as marble, sparkled now with life. She sat up. 

He supported her back, scared that if he let go he would lose her. "Ben," she murmured, cupping his face in her hands. 

Yes, that was who he was, he was Ben Solo. Not Kylo Ren- that monster had been defeated.

Rey pulled herself towards him and brought their lips together. 

~

Everything was black. And then it wasn't. 

She didn't know how to explain, except that it felt like the time between when she fell to the cold stone floor and the time she woke up in Ben's arms simply hadn't existed for her. Not like she was asleep, but that she just- wasn't. 

"Ben," she whispered, caressing his scarred and bloody cheek. 

She pulled herself towards him, drawing them into a kiss. As she traced her lips over his dry, cracked ones, she felt anchored, and complete, in a way that she had never before. 

~

After what felt like forever, but all to short, they broke apart. He felt his face break into a ridiculous grin, the first time he'd smiled since- 

This was the first time he'd truly smiled in years. 

He felt the last of his energy leave him as he fell backwards. But Rey was still alive. She would be fine. That was what mattered to him. 

He'd gotten more than he deserved. He'd gotten to die in her arms. 

~

_No,_ she thought. _No, this can't be happening. Not after everything we've been through._ She watched it happen as though it were in slow motion. Ben, falling from her arms and onto the ground. And then he was gone. His body just disappeared. 

She felt their force bond sever. 

She felt like she'd lost a part of herself. 

"Ben," she sobbed as she collapsed forward onto his clothes, where he had sat only a moment ago. _This is not how it was supposed to go._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next one will be longer, I promise :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey returns from Tattooine to find someone waiting for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Again, I'm not actually all that well-versed in Force rules so for all I know what I'm writing is garbage, but I sure enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Reasons I loved the Reylo kiss:  
> 1\. Cus it took forever to finally happen but all for rlly good plot reasons, when Ben had finally redeemed himself  
> 2.Rey is the one to go in for it, flipping the script on the traditional kiss where the guy kisses and the girl is limp for a few seconds before kissing him back. And once Rey kisses him Ben immediately kisses her back but he _waits_ for her  
> 3\. tHEIR STUPID GRINS AFTER SO CUTE
> 
> 4.asdfjkl; my babies

Rey had barely stepped off her ship before Finn, Poe, and Rose all swarmed her. . Having built her own saber, and laid the other two to rest, she had hoped to return and quietly find her own way to grieve. 

"There's something you should see," Finn told her. "Or someone."

"What?" Rey said, not processing was going on. 

"Kylo Ren. He's back." 

Rey felt like she'd been slapped. " _What?_ "

"We don't know either. He just- showed up a few days ago, next to General Organa's bier." Finn looked almost as confused as she felt. 

"Take me to him," Rey said. 

"Rey- I know what you said- that he joined you on Exegol- but we can't be sure why. Or how he got here. You need to be careful."

"I need to see him," Rey demanded. 

Finn gave in, and along with Rose and Poe, he brought her to a cell. 

"You're keeping him as a prisoner?"

"Plenty of people wanted to shoot him on sight," Rose said. "This was the safest way to handle it."

They stopped outside the door. "I need to talk to him alone," Rey demanded.

"We can't let you go in there, alone, unguarded, unarmed- he might be unstable," Poe told her. 

Rey gestured to her staff. "I'm not unarmed."

Her three friends exchanged a look. They clearly didn't want to let her do this, but didn't see how they could stop her. "Fine," Poe said. "But be careful. And don't leave us in suspense."

The group left. Rey stood by herself, looking through a small cell window at Ben, sitting in a chair staring at his hands. Was he real? She gently pushed open the door. 

His head snapped up and looked at her. Rey dropped her staff and ran to him. He stood up. 

"R-" he began, the first letter of her name barely crossing his lips before she silenced him with a kiss. 

She'd replayed their last moments together in her head a thousand times already, because that was all she had of him. 

But now she had this. 

They pulled apart, breathless and crying. "Ben," she whispered, cradling his face. 

"Rey," he said. "Rey, I'm so sorry." 

She touched her forehead to his. "Where _were_ you?" 

"Looking for you. Trying to find a way back. My mother-" he stopped. 

"She sacrificed herself for you," Rey said. 

Ben nodded. "But- it wasn't just to reach me. With her force energy- it was enough to bring me back. To you. But it took time, for all the energy to gather. I found myself next to wear she died-"

"I thought you were gone," she whispered. "I felt- _something_. But I thought it was only a ghost, or an echo. Me hearing what I wanted to hear."

"We're a dyad, Rey," he said. "I'm not getting away from you that easily."

Rey smiled and leaned against his chest. A few mom of silence passed before Rey spoke. 

"So the whole base knows now? That- that-"

"That I'm Kylo Ren?"

"Were," Rey said. "You _were_ Kylo Ren."

"Can I make that claim yet? I am still the person who did those horrible things. I don't get a new start. I have all this baggage. It's mine to carry."

"Ben, no. That man is gone. The disgusting whisper of Palpatine is gone. You rejected the dark."

He pulled away. "I can't expect anyone else to forgive me when I can't forgive myself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed my latest dose of ao3 therapy


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey tries to talk the camp into letting Ben stay.
> 
> Also some pure Reylo fluff <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My advice for reading Reylo fics: remember that if you go by the actors' heights, Ben is liKe 8 inches taller so to when he hugs her he'd practically be lifting her off the ground.

"Let him out," Rey demanded. 

Finn and Poe looked at her like she was insane. "We can't do that. He might still be dangerous," Finn said. 

"I know there's nothing I can say right now to make you trust him. But I take full responsibility for him. I'll be his guard. We'll both stay on the Falcon, so he won't use any quarters. He'll earn his keep."

Chewbacca growled in response.

"Chewie volunteers to help as guard," Rey translated.

"You said he'd earn his keep?" Poe said. 

"We need all the hands we can get, even for menial tasks," Rey reminded him. 

They exchanged looks, and realized they couldn't counter any of these arguments- or try to stop Rey. 

"Fine," Poe said. "But you can be the one to explain to the base why the man who killed their families is on base."

Rey bit her lip, disturbed by the reminder of how the rest of her base still saw the man who saved her life. "All right," she agreed. "They deserve to hear the whole story."

"Don't be to confident they'll listen," Finn warned.

*************

They agreed to release Ben after Rey spoke to the camp that night. Rey took a deep breath and prepared to explain to the camp the one thing she was certain of, more than anything else in the world. 

"Ben Solo- the man you know as Kylo Ren- is in camp." 

An angry ripple went through the crowd. 

"You know General Organa spent her last moments, reaching her son for the light. And she did reach him. In my final battle against Palpatine, he stood with me. He saved my life. I would not be here were it not for Ben Solo." She paused to let that sink in. 

A murmur went through the crowd. It still did not sound pleased.

"I know this seems impossible to believe. But Kylo Ren is dead. Ben Solo is here. He is ready to help our side."

The crowd erupted at this. 

"I'm not asking you to forgive all Kylo Ren did. I doubt anyone here could." _Except me._ "I'm just asking you to give Ben Solo a chance. At the very least, accept that we need hands. Myself and Chewie will be taking all responsibility for his quartering and guard." 

Before all-out mutiny could break out, Rose stepped up beside Rey. "Kylo Ren- Ben Solo- whoever this is," she began."I may not trust him. But I trust Rey. I would trust her with my life. And I trust General Organa. At the very least, I don't believe that he will harm us." 

To Rey's surprise, this seemed to convince them. They were still furious. But they didn't object. 

**********

Seeing Ben released was the happiest Rey had been in weeks. She couldn't run to him like she wanted to- not with everyone around. She grabbed his arm as gently as she could and led him back to the Falcon. 

Rey curled up in bed beside him, once they were alone in the sleeping quarters. 

"I haven't slept well since you left," she whispered to him. 

"I haven't slept," he replied. 

She curled into his chest. He was warm, and his presence soothing. After weeks of nothing of on her force bond, it now felt as strong as ever. 

Ben wrapped one arm around her. "You can sleep well now." 

And she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall's positive comments are really keeping me going <3\. Thank you so much for reading. I wrote this on my phone while babysitting so my typing was kinda lazy but it soothes my soul. Hope to have the next chapter soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guilt is an emotion that will dog all of them, but none more than Ben Solo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the support! I'm used to writing for half dead fandoms or rarepairs so this outpouring of kudos and comments is rare. I love you, Star Wars Fandom. 
> 
> I hope you continue to enjoy! I have some idea where this is going but I need to get the inbetween first. Expect sporadic updates as I plan it out.
> 
> Also I have a bunch of random Finnpoe opinions/headcanons that aren't really coherent enough for their own fic, should I start leaving them in the notes?

_You didn't earn this_

_You don't belong here_

These are the thoughts that consumed him when he was awake, and now haunted him in his sleep. In dreams he saw himself as he had been- a killer, a monster, drowning in the intoxicating powers of the dark side. And when he sawhimself like this, almost through another's eye, he wondered how Rey could even begin to forgive him. 

He looked at her, lying beside him, sleeping peacefully. She loosely held one of his hands. He wondered how she slept so peacefully next to him, how there was no conflict in her to trust and accept him. 

_Kylo Ren did those things. Snoke did those things. Palpatine did those things. But you are none of these people. You are Ben Solo._ That's what she told him. 

In some of his nightmares, he saw the things he had done. But other times they were things he could still do- and he feared his own potential. He feared his ability to return to the dark side. He never wanted to be lost in that horrifying abyss again. But it seduced him once, could it again? What would happen if he did? Could he hurt Rey? 

_Run away,_ some part of his brain said. _Somewhere where you cannot hurt anyone else._ But he couldn't imagine leaving Rey to feel betrayed and abandoned like that. Whether he understood why or not, he knew he meant something to her. And there dyad would connect them, wherever he went. 

And in a selfish way, he wanted to stay with her. 

He turned himself to look out the window, carefully so as not to disturb Rey. It was still dark out, but the stars were starting to fade. He would guess it was around five, all though he didn't know how sun cycles worked on this planet. 

He turned back to Rey. She was still asleep, looking very peaceful and- vulnerable. He supposed he knew that she was small, but she usually seemed to fill so much _space_ \- emotionally, mentally, in the force. But now he could see how powerful she was- she didn't need to take up physical space to project herself. And when she wasn't, she felt so small, and vulnerable.

Almost unbidden came the memories of the last time he'd seen her like this. They weren't pleasant ones. Exegol. Her dead body in his shaking arms. 

And just like that, he was losing control, his mind was launching himself back onto the cold, windy planet, into the sith throne room, sitting on the floor, holding her. 

And the angry, accusing voice in his head. 

_This is your fault._

_You killed her._

If it hadn't been for him, for the First Order, for listening to the manipulations of Snoke and Palpatine, none of this would be happening. The guilt felt like it was crushing him. 

"BEN!" Rey's voice jolted him from his memory. He snapped back to reality, seeing her propped up on her side and holding his arm. "What's wrong?" 

He took a deep breath, unsure how to explain.

"I felt it," she continued, "That dream, or memory, flashback, whatever it was. You were back on Exegol."

"Sorry," he grunted, sitting up. "It was just- an unbidden memory."

"You felt scared," Rey said. "Tell me what's wrong."

"What if it calls me back?" he said finally.

"What?" Rey said. "The Dark side?" She shook her head. "Have you felt it pull again?"

"No," he said. "But what if I did?"

"You will," Rey said. "So long as the force exists, both the light and the dark will exist. We'll both feel their pulls. But you've chosen light, I know you have."

He buried his face in his hand and took a deep breath. "I can see myself as I was now. In my dreams, in my memories. That monster. I wonder how it happened once; I don't want it to happen again."

"Ben." She sat up next to him and squeezed his hand. "If right now, the First Order came, if they wanted you back- would you join them? Would you answer the pull of the dark?"

He closed his eyes and imagined it. "No," he said confidently, "No, I wouldn't. I couldn't." 

"I know," Rey whispered. "I know you wouldn't."

"I just don't want to hurt you. Never again."

"I don't think you could."

Rey rested her head on his shoulder, and they sat there in comfortable silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. "As much as you might want to, you can't go back in time and change what has already happened. We have to focus on the future. And you can still make amends. You have so much power in the force, we both do, once we know how to channel it, who knows what we can do? But you need to start. Start to heal the galaxy."

"Show me how," he pleaded. 

Rey studied his face, as if looking at it for the first time. "You can't leave this ship today," she said. "Best to keep everything as normal as possible. Get the camp running smoothly, and give your- situation- a day or two to settle. But the one thing you can do right now is talk to Chewie."

Chewbacca, his father's best friend, almost family growing up. He'd killed Han in front of his eyes. 

"I mean it," Rey continued. "I think if there's anyone else on this base who wants to believe that Ben Solo is back, it's him. He wants to see you as the child he knew."

"I'll try," he promised. 

Rey smiled at him, a smile that he would have moved galaxies to see. "I need to go," she told him. She kissed him gently on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are really short, I'll try and get more content out there soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Rose's perspective, the function of the base and what's left for a rebel to do when the war is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update- I have been having ~days~ and I get through them by writing fanfiction in my head but this is the first time I've been able to get them written down. 
> 
> Thank you so much for the support! This has gotten much more traction than I expected, and I'm so excited to be writing it. And it has been absolutely therapeutic after the movie. 
> 
> That being said, there's a lot I don't remember from Episode 8, and since I don't have Disney+, I've just been pirating individual scenes from YouTube because capitalism be like that. 
> 
> I need FinnPoe to be real so that he can become Finn Dameron and Poe will have given him both his names.
> 
> I wish Rey and Rose had a more fleshed-out relationship, they both need more female friends!

When Rey came out for breakfast that morning, she looked more rested than Rose had seen her in weeks. But she didn't feel like the same could be said for the rest of the base- not with Kylo Ren under their roof.

Rose felt torn inside over the idea of his supposed redemption. His First Order was responsible for the death of her sister and many of her friends. But Rey said he was on their side now, and she wanted desperately to believe her. If he was really Ben Solo, if he had left, that would be excellent new for the Resistance. The First Order still held on to plenty of outposts, and if they lost their figurehead, they would be so much easier to take out. Perhaps he even had pertinent information that would help then eliminate the last, most important strongholds. 

"Morning," Rey said, sitting down. Rose smiled back at her. "Where's Finn and Poe?"

Rose shrugged. "They'll probably be here soon. How're you doing?"

"Okay," Rey sighed. "Tired, mostly. Mentally and physically."

"I think I get that."

"Listen," Rey said, "I wanted to thank you for what you said last night. It really- I really needed that."

"It's all true," Rose said. "I do trust you. And if you trust him- that's enough for me."

Rey looked down at her hands. She seemed flustered, and Rose wondered, not for the first time, what she hadn't told them about her battle on Exegol. 

Finn and Poe came in and sat down with them. Rey gave them a tight-lipped smile. Rose greeted them warmly. 

"So, what's the latest news with the Resistance?" Rey asked. "Since I got back from Tattooine?"

The boys seemed relieved that the conversation had been steered somewhere they were comfortable. "Well," Poe began. "An empire doesn't fall all at once. Just because its- leaders- are gone, doesn't mean the sentiment doesn't remain. They're crumbling, but haven't fallen. We've been sending out people to take out what bases we can trace. But event with the number of First Order deserters, we're still really lacking a lot of the inside information we need."

Rey look at him, seeming impressed at how much he'd grown as a leader. "Inside information," she muttered, nodding with understanding. 

"You're the only one who seems willing to talk to him," Poe pressed, "If you think he'd talk to you. I know it might be hard for you, but-"

"I can do it," Rey said, the unhesitating confidence of her answer surprising Rose, making her wonder even more about the former leader of the First Order. "I know he'll talk to me, it's hard to explain, but-"

"You're connected," Finn said. All eyes fell on him. He looked sheepish. "I mean, I sort felt- sensed- something about you. A link in- in the Force."

"And you didn't think to mention you were _Force-sensitive_?" Rey asked incredulously. Rose couldn't help but be surprised- but she didn't really understand the Force-sensitivity thing, and Finn was definitely a powerful fighter and leader. 

"I tried-" Finn said, "But it never felt like there was a good time."

Poe raised his eyebrows and tipped back his chair. "So _that's_ what you were going to tell her."

"I- wow, that's- that's- really exciting, Finn. What are you going to- are you going to- will you train?" Rey asked. 

"I'm not sure yet," Finn admitted. "It's all sort of weird and new."

Rey nodded. "Well," she said, "Going to back to what we were saying _before_ you dropped that bombshell. Yes, Ben and I are sort of- linked in the Force. Let me talk to him, I'll help you find the- inside information. We'll win this thing yet." She hurriedly finished eating, and then returned to the Falcon. 

\-------------

Watching Rey over the next week, Rose felt that _linked_ didn't really seem to cover it. She wasn't sure what would- but that _definitely_ wasn't all. Rose was busy with her duties in the Resistance, but she still noticed the amount of time Rey spent with Ben Solo- talking to him about the Order bases, showing him the tasks he was assigned, even disappearing into the forest to train or meditate. Rose felt he was truly trying to find his way back to the Light- by helping the Resistance, telling the First Order's secrets, and training with Rey. But he still avoided everyone else on base except his two guards, and she couldn't blame him. And didn't necessarily mind. 

As Poe had said, the work became much easier once they had the "inside information". And the base become less on edge about the new "prisoner" once it was clear the information he was giving them was both accurate and pertinent. 

Everyone was confused, but no one seemed more confused than Finn. With his new duties as general, with the Force sensitivity, and with the man who had forced him into the Stormtrooper army being on base. And the fact that Poe clearly had feelings for him- or clearly to everyone, it seemed, except Finn. 

But the very fact that there were considerations other than the war, something to think about other than surviving another day, was a blessing. A sign that life could start to return to some semblance of normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much! Please leave kudos and comments.
> 
> I wish Rey and Rose had a more fleshed-out relationship, they both need more female friends! I didn't have enough time to work on that much in this chapter but I might later. Would you guys be interested in that?


	6. The Meaning of a Dyad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite- or because of- everything else that's going on, nothing could make Rey happier than having Ben back. 
> 
> AKA a chapter that's basically pure fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know this fic is a plotless disaster but AO3 is basically my diary so if you don't like it don't read it, and if you, like me, enjoy fics that are actually just fluff and therapy under a thin mask of plot please enjoy. 
> 
> So it occurs to me that Finn and Rey never learned to swim? And can you imagine their friends trying to teach them? If I wrote a one-shot for this would you be interested in it?
> 
> Ben's dialogue is so h*cking hard to write.

Yes, the base seemed more than suspicious of her. Yes, her friends were completely unsure of what to make of this new information. And yes, she was rather confused herself about what to do. 

But having Ben back made up for all of that. Having him alive, and close, and truly, truly _himself_.

He spent most of his time far away from everyone else, doing his best at the jobs Rey assigned him to help the Resistance, or sitting with her as he struggled to remember details of the structure of the First Order. Surely, Rey thought, this would convince them that he had turned for good. 

Rey managed to convince him to try to meditate, to reconnect with the Force and with his role, in a quiet spot in the forest. This was where she found him one day about a week after she'd returned from Tattooine. 

She watched him sit there for a few minutes, surprised at how peaceful he seemed. An elusive feeling for both of them, no doubt- the world was never kind to people who took a closer look at it. They deserved a little peace. 

When she saw him stand up, she walked over to him. "How are you feeling?" 

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Better. And a whole lot worse."

Rey wanted to comfort him, to make him feel better and not at all worse. But she didn't know how- every facet of this was something new to her. Still, holding his hand seemed like a good place to start. "Are you feeling- connected? In the Force."

He sat back down before answering. She sat next to him. "It still feels like it's- pushing back. Against me. I'm trying to reach through, but it's like there's something missing." He paused, his voice heavy with emotion. "Like I'm broken."

"Ben," Rey said. "Ben, you're not broken." Curled up next to him at night she'd sensed it- his discomfort, pain, and confusion- but he didn't talk about it. 

"Aren't I, though?" he continued. "Back from the dead, torn inside between the dark and the light, destroyed so much of my life."

"Maybe-" she said, "Maybe- you are- a little broken inside. But lucky for you," she continued, cupping his face in her hands. "I'm an expert at fixing broken things."

There was the smile she longed to see, the one that had cracked the mask that was Kylo Ren's face and brought her Ben Solo. His smiles were few and far between, but when she managed to coax them out they shone with the brilliance of a thousand stars. 

She ran her thumb along the scar on his cheek, a disturbingly tangible reminder of all the pain, hatred, and anger that had come before. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to where the scar started, and began tracing its path with her lips, until they found his responding with gentle pressure.

His lips tugged at her own, and she leaned hungrily into the kiss, twisting her hand in his thick, dark, hair. This _closeness_ , both physical and mental, was something she hadn't felt since Exegol. She felt their bond hum with approval and was reminded of the meaning of a dyad. _One soul in two bodies. Your other half. Literally, soulmates._

After what felt like a blissful forever, Rey was forced to come up for breath. She drank in Ben's serene, happy eyes, processing the rushing stream of emotions coming to her mind. 

These feelings, that had seem dark, then promising, then torturous, then hopeful, the devastating, and finally grounded. 

These feelings that even others had sensed the danger in.   
_You have compassion for her._  
 _You opened yourself to the Dark Side for a pair of pretty eyes._

These feelings that they'd try to hide, to deny, but had escaped somehow, through strangled speeches and repressed tears.  
 _You come from nothing. You're nobody. But not to me._  
 _I wanted to take your hand. Ben's hand._

"I love you," she whispered.

A few moments of torturous silence hovered between them before he responded. 

"I love you, Rey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whether or not there will be a next chapter greatly depends on how embarrassed I end up being by this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it either way, if there is a next chapter it should be up within the week!
> 
> Sources for this chapter: accidentally ending up on Reylo reddit while researching stuff I forgot about TFA. 
> 
> //Also I'm a sucker for a love confession.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn is stressed and confused, and trying to succeed as a general. 
> 
> Rose Tico is a little more observant than Rey and Ben would like. But they shouldn't have expected to keep their feelings under wraps for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter and another dose of fluff therapy. I've been considering trying to do a little Finnpoe, but I'm not sure how it will work in, so forgive me if it seems awkward. I'm trying my hardest to put together a cohesive plot, but I'm not doing great. 
> 
> Still, I'm having fun writing it, and I guess that's what matters. Again, forgive my lack of memory of some plot points, I'm trying my best and using pirated YouTube scenes to refresh my memory. 
> 
> Well, at least I didn't die of finals, so that's good.

To say Finn was confused would be a bit of an understatement. 

After seeing Rey and Kylo Ren literally try to kill each other multiple times, extremely recently at that, he couldn't say he understood Rey's reversal in her opinion of him, whatever she said about his redemption on Exegol. 

And just because he could sense their bond didn't mean it helped him to understand. There was piece of the story missing- maybe several. And speaking of his newfound force sensitivity, that wasn't making matters easier. The pressure to decide to train, to do something with it, was weighing on him. He'd felt like he'd found a place as co-general of the resistance, and he didn't want to have to reinvent himself again.

And heading the elimination of the First Order, the liberation of the galaxy, was as rewarding as anything could be. All the lives that had been lost, or fractured, the homes destroyed, the families torn apart- he couldn't fix all of them, but every step closer the came was its own small victory. Deserters from every level revealed themselves every day. Leaders, technicians, stormtroopers such as himself- and the resistance took them, if not welcomed them. Finn could understand, what it was like to have been pushed deep into that pit for so long before finally seeing the light. 

But somehow, he still found himself unable to forgive the things Kylo Ren had done. 

Was it because he'd seen more of them with his own eyes? Or perhaps that he'd needed someone to blame all the horrible things he'd seen on, and Ren was a convenient place to trace them back to? He didn't know, what he did know was that no matter what Rey said, the only interaction he wanted to have with the man was using his intelligence to take down the remaining First Order bases. That, he told himself, was the important thing right now. 

In truth, though, this was all crushing stress being funneled into one source. And the downside of having really good friends is that they notice your unhealthy coping mechanisms. 

"You seem- agitated," Poe noted one morning during breakfast. "Anything you wanna talk about?"

"Just, lots of work to do?" he replied. 

"That's all you've been doing for weeks, Finn," Rose insisted. "Maybe you should relax. You're not the only one here, you know. Poe and I can help you."

"No, you've got enough to do already." 

Rey leaned towards him. "They're right. You've been working yourself way too hard. You're going to crash soon, and that won't be good for anyone. Please, try to get some rest."

Finn held his gaze a second too long. He looked away. 

"Maybe you're right."

"So," Rey continued, "Not to jump right into business, but Ben gave me these maps yesterday. I can't say I fully understand the significance of them but he said they'd be useful?"

Poe reached across the table and looked at the drawing. "Yeah, these are- these should help." Poe bit his lip, looking like he was considering saying more. "Thank him."

Rey smiled. "I will."

"Wait, when did you get these?" Rose asked. "You were with us all day yesterday, and then you went straight to bed."

"I, um, talked to him before I went to bed. He gave these to me then."

"Seriously?" Finn said. "That's what you do before bed, just sit around and talk to _him_?" He didn't mean to sound angry. He didn't mean to be angry. But some things are hard to control. 

"I'm allowed to be friends with him!"

"He is right, though, you do spend a lot of time together. And you can't say it's all resistance- or force- related," Poe put in. 

"I don't need to explain myself," Rey sighed. 

Rose looked at Rey seeming to process what she was saying. "You're in love with him," the mechanic said, her voice barely above a whisper. Not angry or accusing, just stating a fact. 

Finn looked to Rey for shock or denial, unable to believe Rose's claim. But Rey wouldn't meet any of their eyes. She just stared down at her empty plate. And Finn knew, he knew that Rose was right, that the connection was more than just that. That some things were impossible to explain through any logical means. 

*****************

It wouldn't have taken a genius to notice, Rose told herself. Just someone who wouldn't look away every time she saw them together. They weren't exactly subtle, and Rose had picked up on the signs. 

The vast amounts of time they spent together, and the glances they threw each other when they weren't. Really, the way Ben looked at Rey, surely even the most oblivious person should have noticed. Rey's sudden sense of ease and happiness. It couldn't be coincidence.

And if you wanted more tangible evidence, there was a little of that. Rey's tidy, undisturbed bed on the Falcon, that either hadn't been slept in or was made every morning. And it didn't seem like Rey to make her bed every morning. Or the time Rose had gone to ask her a question, and could have sworn she saw Rey drop Ben's hand. 

But it was only now that Rose was certain of it. And she was _definitely_ certain of it. And as conflicted as she was, it seemed nice- that they could love each other so devotedly that they brought each other back from death and darkness. There was a lot of other complexities, too, of course, but she couldn't help but see the positives in it. Looking for the positives was what got her through the war, and she didn't see any reason to dismiss optimism in peace.

Rey finally broke the silence. "What do you want me to say?"

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," Rose added softly. 

Finn looked like he strongly disagreed with that, and Poe looked like he wanted desperately to stay out of this. 

"Yes, I have feelings for him," Rey said through gritted teeth, "But why does that matter? You're getting the information you want from him, and don't have to help him start over in the Resistance like so many other people are trying to do. Please, leave him out of this. I repeat- I don't need to defend myself."

"You don't," Finn agreed. "But that doesn't mean I'm- delighted with this."

Poe shrugged. "I don't know what to say, Rey, except that I trust your judgement."

Rey got up to walk away. "Thank you, Poe. Now please try and talk some sense into your boyfriend."

"Your _what _?" the three of them sputtered at her retreating back.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister: "Even in this trilogy, we really only got a family kiss, because Ben and Rey are like Force-cousins."
> 
> Me: *has to keep my mouth shut because if I reveal myself to be Reylo trash I will never hear the end of it*
> 
> My sister managed to bully me into telling her that I'm on AO3 but she thinks I only use it for Percy Jackson slash and I'd like to keep it that way.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know this is ending abruptly but I didn't know how to continue it! I have a sequel fic planned so this is kind of wrapping up my loose ends and bridging it into that! Please enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the support you guys! This was my first-ever Star Wars fic and I'm so glad you didn't think it was trash (even though it kind of feels like it was). I'm making plans to do a sequel, please check it out!
> 
> So I am a boring person who didn't really do anything over Christmas break so when people asked I would usually say "I saw Star Wars" cus that was enough for small talk. But unfortunately my hairstylist had opinions about it and these opinions ~conflicted~ with mine so I had to sit there and not be trash and she was like "I didn't like the thing with Rey and Kylo-Ren" and I was like "...I liked it" and used all my willpower to shut up and let me tell you it was hard.

The First Order wasn't going to go out without a fight, but it was no longer able to make direct hits, mostly fading into secret bases on far-out planets. Although its seeds, like a weed, remained throughout the galaxy, they were weak and just needed to be stomped out one by one. 

Finn and Poe were doing a wonderful job with this. But Rey knew that they couldn't have all their leaders stuck here, working remotely. Some of them were protected more intensely than Starkiller Base had been. Someone needed to go there, be there, fire the final shots of the war. 

Rey could feel that he was itching to be the one to do it. 

"We both knew from the beginning that I could never stay," Ben insisted. 

"Yes," she said. "But I didn't realize it would have to be so soon."

"It's been a month." Their voices hovered with restraint, not quite arguing. 

He turned away from her and went back to packing his bag. 

"I'm going with you."

He froze. "You can't do that."

"Why not?" she challenged. 

"You've made a home for yourself here. You have your friends, your family. Don't throw that all away, Rey. Especially not for a disaster like me."

Rey was forced to suppress a smile. "And you think _I_ belong here? Really? I'm not cut out for this- professionalism, politics. I'm a scavenger from Jakku who never wanted to spend much time in the same place. I want to see the galaxy, Ben." She took a step closer. "I want to see it by your side."

"They need you here, Rey. Your knowledge, your experience-"

"Of what? What that actually relates to what they're doing here? That wouldn't be more useful on the ground?"

"I-"

"Fixing broken things, remember?" She smiled. "I want to heal the galaxy."

***************

Rey had told the three of them- Rose, Finn, Poe- that she was leaving with Ben, to help eliminate the rest of the first order, to set up relief for the damaged planets. And after that, who knew what? Finding their place in the Force, in the galaxy. 

Rose looked through the slightly open door at their sleeping forms- she hadn't meant to spy, exactly, but she'd been on the Falcon, and just _wondering_ in a strange way. About what she couldn't understand about them, that had made Rey go away with him, so many times now. 

But as she saw them curled towards each other, she saw how it fit in. It was like a symbol she'd seen once- the Yin and Yang. Dark and light, intertwined, each incomplete without a small piece of the other. The image sprang to life in the two of them. 

And Rose realized that this was where the two of them belonged. Bringing balance to the galaxy, together. She'd be sad to see her go, of course, but happy for her getting the ending she deserved. 

***************

He held a list of the remaining first order bases in his hand, more of the information they would need downloaded on R2-D2, C-3PO, and D-O. The first two droids had insisted on not letting them go alone, and as for D-O, no one on base had known what to do with the little guy. 

He turned to Rey, who was smiling down at the controls of the Falcon. She and Chewie- who had refused to let them take the ship without him- would be flying it. 

"Where first?" he asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister (again): "Sad as it was, it's probably a good thing Ben died at the end because any child of theirs would have been a disaster."
> 
> Me: *laughs nervously*
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING.


End file.
